I have this haunting urge to find out what Straits Times review would be for this production. And though I found the review totally missing the point of Japan imperialism, and though I disagree with the phrase "There was a lot to see but very little to feel or think about', I felt a sense of relief that the journalist at least bothered to comment.
WHEN A GREY TAIWANESE COW STRETCHED IshinhaMain Stage, Festival VillageWednesday
When a grey Taiwanese cow stretched, what happened? Across the continents and oceans, an Uruguayan cow felt a movement behind it and looked around.
That is according to this gorgeous production by Osaka-based troupe Ishinha, which will open the Singapore Arts Festival tonight at the specially constructed Festival Village in Esplanade Park.
This is a tale of hidden histories and connections, of journeys across seas and of the hopes of individuals to forge their destinies in exotic lands abroad.
In patchwork form, it tells the stories of young Japanese people in the early 1900s who ventured from the Japanese islands to Taiwan, the Philippines and the Indonesian archipelago.
One harvested pearls in the Arafura Sea. Another created the biggest dam in Asia in Taiwan. Another entrepreneur built up a Little Japan, a thriving economy of businesses and inns, in Saipan, Vietnam.
There was no faulting the production design and visual bravura here, even if the material did not always make a strong connection with the audience and the production was too long at almost two hours.
The stage, a wooden main platform with different islands of staggered height in the background, stood handsomely against the Singapore skyline. Depending on the scene, different components were added to it, such as two dilapidated houses that were wheeled in in the background or moving boats that ended up being 'floated' in a small gap downstage.
Director and playwright Yukichi Matsumoto realised an original and uncompromising vision of human endeavour and migration.
His script, which combined documentary snippets with poetic incantations and geography lists, had an all-encompassing, epic sweep that made the movements of his human travellers echo the movement of the stars and the drift of the currents.
He staged meditative tableaux with actors doing hypnotic, repetitive actions. Dressed in simple costumes and hats that evoked an earlier, rural Japan, the strong cast of 26 performed a rhythmic, spoken word song, set to beautiful music by Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Their synchronised movements and the easy group chemistry was a pleasure to behold.
Echoes of traditional Japanese opera haunt the show, both in the painted faces and arms of the actors, as well as the emphasis on disciplined movement and music.
Watch out for a gigantic man that comes out. He has a few costume changes and sometimes he evokes the evil capitalist looming over an industrial city, sometimes a defeated soldier.
Aesthetically and formally, the piece was a great success but where it stumbled was in its connection to the audience. There was a lot to see but very little to feel or think about.
In their abstracted forms, it was hard to feel invested in the personal stories of bravery and risk-taking on stage. One experienced them as part of a beautiful montage of sights and sounds.
Some of the more static scenes could have also been tightened - the wooden seats and the muggy air were unforgiving elements in outdoor theatre.
That said, there is a lot to admire in this ambitious, lyrical production with a mythic reach. Go to see a unique theatrical vision, but take along a fan.
